Niccolo Machiavelli - Page 4

Arizona is the busiest gateway for illegal immigrants and pot smugglers so state officials have a solution. While the federal government doesn’t want to build a fence and the state can’t afford it, they are hoping that people will donate

From The Moscow Times: Amid growing anxiety over whose name will appear on the 2012 presidential ballot, lawmakers and pundits were quick to welcome the news that one president would certainly stand for re-election next year — Barack Obama. The

India is a rising power that is looking to upgrade its fighter aircraft. It’s a huge contract: 126 fighter jets for $10 billion. India for decades has relied on first Soviet and now Russian weapons systems. No longer. They recently

There has been closer cooperation between these two powers in recent years, but Russia is still concerned about Chinese ambitions. From Pravda: Teaming up….or not? China is trying to change its borders with Russia again. Spokesmen for the Border Service

Snipers are getting better range and accuracy with the Army’s XM 2010. There are now 250 in Afghanistan and more on are on the way. The Army Times reports: While the XM2010 is technically an upgraded M24 sniper rifle, the

Does Buck Rogers have a Russian accent? “By the end of the current year, Russia is expected to finish the establishment of air and space defense troops. According to General Lieutenant Oleg Ostapenko, the commander of space troops of the

The Washington Post is reporting that Senator Harry Reid has been in China with six other Democrats and three Republicans on what they call a “secret, week-long trip to China.” Other members of the delegation include Democrats Barbara Boxer, Dick

Pravda reports: France on Sunday temporarily closed its southern borders to trains carrying hundreds of North African immigrants from Italy, evoking a strong response from Rome. The French government’s move to block the trains from entering France through Menton had

Who says the North Koreans don’t understand capitalism? Bellagio….it’s not Apparently the North Korean embassy in Moscow is in the casino business, running an operation that includes roulette wheels, poker and blackjack, and 30 slot machines. I’m assuming that when

An article titled “False pretense for war in Libya” appeared today in the Boston Globe of all places. The author, a professor from the University of Texas (and no neocon bomb thrower) notes that Obama’s claim that intervention was necessary

ABC News reports: “President Obama appointed retired General Stanley McChrystal to co-chair a commission on military families this week, but according to perhaps the most prominent military family of the last decade, McChrystal is unfit for that duty. Mary Tillman,

France, we are right behind you. Go ahead. Lead the way. You got us all into this mess. Voice of America reports: France has criticized NATO for failing to do enough to protect civilians in Libya.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe

Now this sounds like an excellent idea. “Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has introduced legislation seeking to place six Mexican drug cartels – the Arellano Feliz Organization, Los Zetas, the Beltran Leyva Organization, La Familia Michoacana, the Sinaloa Cartel and the

Mexico, which is often highly critical of America’s immigration policies, has some of the toughest in the world. You must be able to speak Spanish and have a detailed working knowledge of Mexican history. The Guadalajara Reporter has sample questions

Writing in Foreign Policy, Lt. General James Dubik (USA, Ret.) says get ready: “The way the United States and its allies have intervened in Libya has placed them on a dangerously slippery slope. Air power alone has not protected Libyan

This is a very interesting theory and may explain why the F-22 Raptor, which would have been totally immune to Libyan air defense radar system, has not been used. It’s pretty intriguing. Basically if we had used the F-22, we

Check out these before and after recon photos of Gaddafi’s weapons bunkers:

The conspiratorial minded might be inclined to think this is why liberals like sending soldiers on overseas missions. The Associated Press reports: RALEIGH, N.C. — Most of the military personnel deployed from North Carolina bases during the U.S. Census were

Now this is interesting. I suspect there is even more to this story. “One of Colonel Gaddafi’s sons was on a U.S. State Department approved tour of America as the uprising in Libya began, it was revealed today. Khamis Gaddafi,

Ever wonder how the Libya mission got its name “Operation Odyssey Dawn?” Apparently the name has nothing to do with anything. The Washington Post reports: Significant military operations in Libya are expected to wind down in the coming days, marking

So do we want him gone, or not? President Obama from South America: “U.S. President Barack Obama has declared that Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi must relinquish power – but said the Western coalition will not force him to go using

The Europeans, particularly the French and the Germans, are squabbling about what exactly to do in Libya. Many are quietly hoping that the “problem” (Gaddafi) will be, you know, taken care of. Germany’s left-of-center Der Spiegel reports: “This is again

This is definitely not your father’s navy. The Associated Press reports: “JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. — Air Force and Navy officials at South Carolina’s Joint Base Charleston are hosting more than 700 fifth-graders in a celebration of Earth Day. The

Manning is being held in the brig on charges of aiding the enemy. He’s in solitary confinement for 23 hours every day and is stripped naked before he goes to bed. Some in the Obama Administration believe he is being

South of the Border Jalisco Govenror Emilio Gonzalez is accusing the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of collaborating with the drug cartels because they refuse to support a security-bill. He asked members of the State Congress: “What did you receive? Did

The authoritative Jane’s is reporting: “A NATO team mostly comprising US personnel has been deployed to eastern Libya to determine whether a no-fly zone could be imposed in response to the crackdown by Colonel Moammar Ghadaffi against reform-minded protestors, Jane’s

The amazing Bill Gertz at the Washington Times reports: Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using

“Gaddafi’s days are numbered. He will do what Hitler did-he will take his own life,” says former Libyan Justice Minister Mohamed Abud Al Jelell. There are also rumors that he has been shot. Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.

In Britain there is a “Chinese language learning craze.” In Egypt there is now strong interest to learn Chinese. In Russia the government proclaimed it “Chinese Language Year.” Israel is boosting the teaching of Chinese, and it thinking seriously about

After Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah declared that he would take over Israel’s Galilee region in a future war and threatened to harm Israeli leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu shot back. While speaking to a group of American Jewish leaders in

Proving that once again nothing pays better than government corruption, The Moscow Times reports: New documents confirm that the Kremlin property chief approved construction of a posh seaside palace rumored to be a residence for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, despite

Report: “Controversial Wikileaks founder Julian Assange allegedly boasted about fathering children all around the world and preferred his conquests to be 22 or under, according to an explosive new book. Former Wikileaks insider Daniel Domscheit-Berg describes Assange as a paranoid

Is this a good sign or not? Wired reports: “Dave Petraeus won’t let up his aerial assault on Afghanistan. After taking the air war to record highs in the fall, coalition aircraft are now flying about 10 bombing missions a

A very astute and interesting observation from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about what is going on in the Middle East. It’s not the only explanation of events in the region, but Iran is enjoying the fact that attention is

Big Peace has been tracking the challenges faced by American energy companies during the Age of Obama. The Wall Street Journal has a new piece today which highlights how the power of American energy companies is on the decline while

Here’s the full statement released at the close of President Hu’s visit to Washington, along with some snarky editorial comments. It’s long on claims of progress, short on actual solutions to festering problems. I’ve put in bold those passages was